Özet:

Background: The objective of this retrospective hospital-based study was to evaluate the rate and characteristics of acute human poisoning in our province (Aydin, Turkey). Methods: All cases of acute human poisonings admitted to the Emergency Department of the Adnan Menderes University Hospital, in Aydin, Turkey, between January 1st 2000 and December 31st 2003, were included in the study. The rate and causes of mortality from poisoning as well as demographic data of the patients were investigated. Results: There were 156 (0.5%) poisoning cases within a total of 32,891 patients admitted to the emergency department. Of the poisoning cases, 60.2% were female. Poisonings made a peak between the ages of 15 and 24. The majority resulted from oral ingestion with deliberate intake, accounting for 64.1% of the cases. Most of the suicide attempt cases were also females. The most common cases except for therapeutic agents are bites, food, and oral ingestion of chemical products, carbon monoxide inhalation, and pesticides. Fourty-eight patients (30.8%) were admitted to intensive care unit, which 58.3 % were female. One patient died in the intensive care unit. Conclusions: Data presented in this article provide preliminary results on the pattern of symptomatic poisonings in Aydin.

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